1986 3+3 4x4
 

Picked this up last June and have been working the bugs out as I drive.

292/sm465. You can see the slight forward rake in the profile pic. Ride was a little rough…took me a couple weeks to figure out it was riding on the shocks . Found some 4” front springs to get that sorted out.

Checking out a tick coming from the engine and found what looked to be a push rod that had been “customized” with a grinding wheel and a loose rocker that had been wearing out the top of one of the valves.I swapped in another pushrod and decided it would be a good idea to take it up the mountain on our family vacation. Two bent pushrods later I had it sorted out…until I plugged the pvc and blew out one of the remaining non leaking gaskets…..

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Ended up pulling the 292 and putting in a 250 that I had on the stand to keep it on the road.

Rear springs were 12 leaf one ton packs that would just about knock your teeth out with every little bump. Been using the truck on the property we’re building our house on so I drove it up until recently with those stiff springs. The lift in the front made it have about a 2” difference between the front and rear. Found a c20 in the pic a part so grabbed the rear springs out of it and ordered a shackle flip kit from ORD and got that put on in the last week.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

This thing was like driving a battleship….turning radius was about a football field. Always heard these things don’t turn well so I figured it was just how they were. Finally took five minutes and looked at the steering setup one day and figured out why it would hardly turn….:rolleyes:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

What the ...........???? How did that even fit down through the hole. Arm upside down also?

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Nice crew cab you have here. I'm bettign there aren't too many around with a 6 cylinder still in them. That is some shady stuff on the drag link. Is that rod end shaft smaller or did they ream the top side of the pitman arm to get it to go through? Definitely sketch. :lol:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

look at it closely, the pitman is upside down. Now I think I've seen everything

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks! Wasn’t a factory six cylinder according to the SPID sheet, but this truck is a hodgepodge of parts anyway. I’m torn between rebuilding the 292 and going LS. Just hoping the 250 holds together long enough for me finish building my house!

I figured most would get a good chuckle out of that. Couldn’t believe it when I saw it!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Dang! :lol: It sure is. Whoops. Haha

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Cool truck. Never have seen a short bed stepside crew cab. Guessing that is some of the work somebody's already done? If so, at least the bed is right side up, haha. If the six is not original, my vote is as much displacement as you can stand, haha. I like era correct engines in these trucks, but an LS can be more practical in a lot of ways, especially if you drive it a lot.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Yes the shortbed stepside conversion was done when I got it. It looks pretty well done compared to some of the previously mentioned sketchy stuff. I’m currently on the lookout for a short wheelbase utility bed. I like the stepside a lot but have been wanting another utility bed teuck since I got rid of the 62.

I’m definitely leaning more towards the LS. 6.0 sounds about right. :metal:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Sold the stepside bed and am on the hunt for a utility bed. Short beds are hard to find for sure. Missed out on a couple, but I’ll find one eventually.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Too bad you're so far away. I have one I'd sell or trade for a good long bed.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

I do know a guy in your area, but might be a little too far to be economical these days lol. :waah:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Found a utility bed in the local pic-a-part. Spent the better part of this past Saturday with my brother cutting it off. Needs a new floor and some other metal work, but I'm happy to have found it.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/1652889764927-png.372919/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Good work. That'll be cool.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks. Looking forward to getting the bed put on. Started working on patching up some of the bad metal last night. Plenty more of that to do

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

I'm guessing that you are using what you have handy, but magnets, welding clamps, or clecos might speed things up for you, even just for that front panel.

Looking forward to seeing it come together.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

You're 100% right, and I do have some magnets....somewhere haha. The c clamps weren't too big of a pain to use and I managed to get that piece and the small spot beside it filled in the other night and looking halfway decent. If you have any suggestions for improving my booger welds, I'm all ears :lol:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Nice score on the utility bed. You sure don't find the short ones very often.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Oh man, I wish I was good enough at welding to offer anyone advice. I can only offer the same advice I need to follow and that is to practice, haha. I thought it was cool that you found that utility bed and when you showed patching that front panel I was thinking that the c clamp would be trying to pivot and twist the piece you are trying to attach when you put it on. No criticism intended or implied.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks. They are definitely harder to come by. The passenger side is rougher than the driver's. Somehow the rear part of the wheel well panel got folded up and is caught up under a piece of angle iron. Gonna take some work to straighten it out.

No criticism taken at all my friend, hopefully I didn't come off as being offended! I was mainly just trying to make fun of my mediocre welding skills. It definitely takes practice, and I just don't get too many opportunities to do it.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

You didn't, just making sure not to step on your toes. And based on my welding experience which is nearly none, I didn't want to come across as telling you what to do. It just looked like it would be difficult to keep working with the c clamps. But I am interested to follow your build.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

My wife is gone all week so hopefully can sneak in some garage time when the kids are asleep. Planning to cut the crusty floor out next and see if I can come up with a good solution for replacement. My brother said he had some treated 2x6’s left over from a remodel job he did a while back. I liked the wood floor in the stepside bed and I think it might be cool to put one in this bed and paint it black like the wood beds in 60s era trucks. Plus it’s free lol

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Finally got around to cutting on the floor. Got it all out and started cutting some bad metal out of the boxes as well. Contemplating getting one of the 30" Harbor Freight metal brakes to help with bending up some sheet metal when the time comes to start patching up the boxes.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/a92594...f-jpeg.375024/

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/f6b9e7...a-jpeg.375023/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Did some trading for this pile yesterday. High mileage GMC 3500 van with the 6.0 engine. Will use it for mobile storage/junk hauling while we're building our house and pull the engine and part it out when I'm ready to put it in the truck.

https://images.craigslist.org/00T0T_...2_1200x900.jpg

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Tell the truth. You'll have that van lowered, tinted out, and with tear-drop windows within the next couple of months, haha. That'll be a handy rig and a great donor.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Hahah. I’d totally drive that.My parents borrowed a family friends GMC Vandura to go camping when we were kids back in the 80s. Shag carpet, mattress in the back with some teardrop windows with pillow inserts. We thought that thing was awesome.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Finished getting some patches booger welded in the wheel wells and sat the bed up on the frame. Just got to make a floor for it now, straighten out the passenger wheel well, cut off the bumper, wire some lights…


https://nc4x4.com/attachments/0db5fb...e-jpeg.382518/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Freed the 6.0 from the van a few weeks back as well.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/a840b5...3-jpeg.381142/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

In on this one! That 3+3 was the doner vehicle I stole my Dana 60 front axle from. Nice project!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

You got your Dana 60 from this truck? :lol: I'd be curious to know where all this thing has been!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Scrapped together some rails and cross members and cut some boards my brother salvaged from a job. Still need to make a couple more floor supports and work on securing it to the frame. Hoping to find some old bed strips to fill the gaps as well.

https://nc4x4.com/attachments/3877c2...9-jpeg.384519/

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Managed to get a few hours in here and there over the past few weeks. Finally got the bed secured to the frame and my boards bolted in. Still need to cut two strips to fill the gaps on the sides. Got the lights wired up the other night and finished making a new filler neck for the gas tank today. Finally moved for the first time in a long while and now it looks like the rear seal on the transfer case decided it doesn’t want to exist anymore.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Looking mighty stout!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks, it getting there! Looking forward to driving it again.

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Awesome rig man. I’d love to have one of those to go haul old junk home. Haha

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Thanks! I think everyone needs a crew cab junk hauler! :lol:

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

Looking at the side profile, I think Id cut the back wheelwells to match the front fenders. Would help eliminate some of the damaged metal, give you some clearance & make it look more "proper" on the truck. Lorne

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

That's because it was!

Love the build. I dug the step side bed. I typically prefer fleet sides but the step side looks good on the crew cab. Good luck with the build!

Re: 1986 3+3 4x4
 

That’s worth looking into. Would be pretty cool to match the wheelwell size/shapes.


Thanks! I liked the stepside bed as well, but have been wanting another utility bed truck since I sold the last one I had.